What do white people have to add to Rastafari

[Ayinde]

This discussion started on the Rastafari Speaks board and I am reposting my comment here to encourage debate.
http://www.rastafarispeaks.com/forum/index.cgi?read=10032

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They have nothing to contribute if their understanding is limited to Bob Marley and the 1930s.  

In the context of human development, all types of people have contributed either directly or indirectly.

While Rastafari is, in part, the liberation struggle of Africans and in my opinion it was derived from a more indigenous way of living, few people today have added to the understanding Rastafari. For many it still remains the liberation struggle born in the 1930s. Few appreciated the works of the elders who remained in the hills far removed from pop culture.

In my view many gravitated to pop-Rastafari from the viewpoint of its slightly altered Christian teachings, which was easy to accept. For many, Rastafari offered the illusion of a new type of people that would play down the issues of Race and Gender inequities whilst pacifying those in economic poverty. Both Blacks and Whites could simply say brother, Jah Rastafari and one love often enough to gloss over the real experiences of many.

Today many (Blacks, Whites and all in between) are simply not mentally equipped to treat with Rastafari in a global context much more a Universal context. People take aspects that allow them to feel better in relation to their own social dynamics and run with it.

Many claim Rastafari, without paying attention to its much older foundation, which offers meaning to all people. The much older root shows that the Jamaican elders in the hills were identifying with a natural process of development. Some Whites, Indians, Chinese, etc. have done this but they did not call it Rastafari.

This natural living in the forest offers a window to many about how to grasp the essence of higher development. The work does not start or end in the forest and ones must learn to apply the wisdoms and values gained to all aspects of living, in the forest or in the concrete jungle among diverse people.

In my opinion, few people (Black White and all in between) can develop these natural abilities without returning to the ‘forest’. Most will have to continue fighting over little things while gaining little pieces of truth under duress as they trek this earth.

The few with a more developed common sense (sense of reason) can learn and refine truths from their own experiences alongside the experiences of others.

[Ras Mandingo]

INI have to learn how to reason with MAMA NATURE, the laws of nature are the laws that govern INI lives and Iniverses!!!

Observation, comparison and correction!!! That's the key!!! More Perception than imagination!!! Burning Ilusions!!!

The back to jungle would then mean "Know Thyself". The whole Iniverse is inside INI. Spitiruality, mentality, nutrition, dialogue, movement...and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, TRINITY LOVE!!!

Give Thanks for the reasonings,

Give thanks for Life,

Selah,

Ras Mandingo Jahson.

[livelyup]

So,

if i understand you correctly, there is a general 'family' of movements that center around the connection with truth via being close to nature, or more correctly, natural processes and dynamics. As far as i can see these movements have existed all over the world, though their ultimate origin is african, and have a multitude of labels, and in some cases no label at all.

In almost every case that i can think of there has been a core of people who have held fast to the importance of a nature based livity, and a much larger group of people who have adopted the cosmetic attributes of these understandings and then superimposed culturally specific concerns onto them. I do not suggest that these culturally specific concerns are invalid or unimportant, but they do seem to be prone to political or religous dogmatism.

There would seem to be a fine line to be walked. A return to the forest implies a renunciation of worldly concerns, at least to some extent. But there are real problems and injustices that cry out to be confronted and chanted down. There would seem to be very few people who have managed to succesfully combine these two activities, who are able to be 'in this world but not of it'. What intitially drew me to a rasta conception of the search for truth was that it attempts to rconcile these two paradoxical aims.

A question that I have been considering is whether there is worth in giving a label to the path that i (we) are on. Does calling the trod rastafari, or for that matter zen, or taoism, or pagan, simply serve to begin the process of division and politicisation that inevitably seems to occur to the realisations had by those who have spent their time in the wilderness?

Paul

[Ras_Joe]

Blessed Love Ayinde,

   Yes brother Rasta is much more than what ones see. It is deeply rooted in INI soul, it is a higher form of living that allows ones to see life from a truthful point of view.

When I man think of Rasta I think of humans striving to be one with Jah and Nature. Not humans worrying about what the next human is saying about his/her livity.

Yes Rasta is about the self and learning self. Not by following a particular book or set of rules, but connecting with INI higher self which is Jah.

Blessed Love

[Empress_Lioness]

I will look to the hills from whence cometh my help...my help cometh from the Almighty who made the heaven and di earth.
My help comes from JAH...Rastafari
Greetings,
the question asked was what do whites have to add to Rastafari?

Absolutely Nothing!!
Then again too, neither does anyone else.  Rastafari need nothing added and nothing taken away.  Fah too long now individuals have mistaken Rastfarianism as a religion, instead of a way of living.  It is not anything one can claim or join,  one must be led and directed by Jah to Rastafari.

My opinion about whites and dem "rasta" way of life is just that.
However, I would be less than a Queen if I did not speak truthfully.  African people have very little to claim as our own. Very little materialstically that is, that the whites have not claimed as thier own. From the invention of modern medicine-crediting socrates for the works of the ancient Egyptian Imhotep, to the smoking of ganja and the wearing of natty hair (which by the way can not get but so natty).

Most white rastas that InI have met DO NOT have an acceptable understanding of the principals of Rastafari, like how dem look herbs fi dem so-called meditation. My granny use to boil it pon di fiyah and feed it to the cranky babies.

And true dem most time Issociate Rasta with Bob Marley.  Do they understand the persecution and prejudice that Rastafari had to endure?  It has been a life long struggle for black people, not just some trendy bandwagon that anyone couldah deh pon.

Dat nuh mean seh white people alone, dat mean any HUE-man who feel seh dem a Rasta and dem cyaan even recite di King Earthstrong! Before you can BE Rasta, you must first love, respect, overstand, and know bout King Sellasie. Many people try to have Ratafari without the King, that would be like a christian who don't believe in Jesus.  You CANNOT have Rasta without King Sellasie and the Holy Trinity.  He is the center, he is our focal point, and our reason we chose Rastafari.  God has been called many, many names, but who will yeild to the name of the King?

In short, NO ONE can add or take away from Rasta, we can only live life according to Jah Jah plan. While it is not or place to judge, it is our place to Iducate, and Itinually praise His Majesty. And don't be afraid to dash fiyah when you see a disrespectful imposter rasta, our King fought and died for us, how many of us would?

Perfect Peace and Ises,
Empress Lioness    

[RasTalawa ben-Judah]

Greetings in the name of Yeshua Kristos, by whom InI may all know JAH.  Greetings also in the Twelve Tribes of Israel, scattered throughout the Earth, but reuniting slowly in this time of Babylon.  Greetings in the name of HIM Ras Tafari Markonnen, a beacon of light to InI pointing us to the true path to JAH, and not the path of those who would enslave all peoples for their gain.  Greetings through the orthodox faith, not a faith of rituals and deeds, but the divine touch of JAH in each seekers life, through the words and spirit of Yeshua, allowing all InI to meet on this common ground.  Greetings finally in the one race, the original intent for mankind before the mistake of trying to reach JAH through and Idol to the heavens, the unholy tower of Babel, in whose wake InI were scattered throughout the Earth and given new languages and marked by color.

Blessed Reasoning!

InI see that the seekers walk with JAH does depend wholly on their receptiveness to the spirit of JAH in all permutations.  InI give thanks that this board is more selective of its memberdhip, allowing fewer guests with nothing to add from showing us that they have nothing (lol).  
InI see no distinction between the races, for His Majesty in his War speech of 1963 had similiar sentiments on the concept of InI in one race:

"This, then, is the ultimate challenge. Where are we to look for our survival, for the answers to the questions which have never before been posed? We must look, first, to Almighty God, Who has raised man above the animals and endowed him with intelligence and reason. We must put our faith in Him, that He will not desert us or permit us to destroy humanity, which He created in His image. And we must look into ourselves, into the depth of our souls. We must become something we have never been and for which our education and experience and environment have ill-prepared us. We must become bigger than we have been, more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community."

(Taken from Sister Mary Dread's website, whose true feelings of one love led InI to answer Jah's call to tred deeper into Rastafari than the original impartial study, and find InI walk...give thanks)

It is not the question of black or white that InI should be concerned with, for Yeshua say "you shall judge men by their fruits."  InI have met Afrikan peoples further from the heart of Jah than some of the men in white hoods (no offense intended, just a convenient illustration) and InI have met a few white people who overstood this one love of Rastafari more than some of the bretheren InI reasoned with at the last Binghi...It is by InI hearts that InI shall be judged.

While InI can name fewer white people than Afrikans who truly follow JAH, and InI have met quite a few more white "Rasta Impasta" than Afrikan, evil comes in all colors, as does good.

PeaceLoveInity
RasTalawa ben-Judah

[RasIene]

You must know my Idren that...you cannot say that some caucasion has given you more knowledge than some African Idren. Africans has been through what no other races has been through and thus other races cannot give you much more. For example, African has built Amerika by their effort and yet they are still look down up on. No cacausion no matter how he has extol Rasta will ever overstand what Africans has given to make them live. Remember, when England invaded Ethiopia all the Royal emulates, books and other relics were plundered and stolen. How did so call King James come by the knowledge to give the world version of the Ible, where is the original. Rastas true Rastas overstand their history not just to learn or pass an academic exam, but to right the information. Don't the I see it is not about what the cacausion has to offer, or about accepting a race. Instead it is about righting that which was wrong, to restore generation to their rightful place of livity. Rastas are not going about this by building weapons of mass destruction, but by the power of the music, the reasoning. So the corn is been thrown out there and if the cacausion begin to see it so let it be, but it will change Rastas mind that alot of work is to be done, it will change Rastas mind that they have remain upful and bright in restoring that which was taken away, righting that which was wrong by cacausions in the past and some in the present. Again Rasta is Power! Sound! abd WORD and it through this medium we develop weapon of mass righting. Selah.

[RasTalawa ben-Judah]

Star,

Seen, but 2day's babylon hate people of all color.  There are many bitter and hateful Afrikans, (while possibly justified) who have nothing to contribute...It is not Raceta, it is Rasta...diss hate based 'pon race makes InI who claim to be conscious no better than the oppressors who claim to be followers of Christ.  

Secondly...
The Rastafarian movement which sees the Bible as the Divine word from JAH (theI mentioned this in a different post) was not started by white man, and is not even championed by most "white rastas" (if this term should even be necessary) Iman know...In fact, most "white rastas" (Iman really dislike this term) are of the Nyabinghi, (many just trying to fit in and rebel against the religion of their parents) or this new age Iman speak of.  

Star, Why theI come here to stir this dissention...there are higher things to reason 'pon than this.

PeaceLoveInity
RasTalawa

[John_Pancakes]

I apologize if I wrote anything offensive... I posted a responce to "what does rasta have to offer white people" and I see that it is now gone. All apologies if I did something wrong.

[Rootsie]

Bredren Ras Talawa,
 Many Rasta do not see Bible as 'divine word of JAH'-much tampering with that scripture and not all words dem divine! The idea that the Bible is revealed word of JAH similar to Qu'ran is indeed the idea of white fundamentalists of the 19th century in America. And as for whether it is to be interpreted literally...well let's not get I started!
I see no attempt at dissension in sis iene's post, just a statement of the facts.
Balance must be restored, true?
rootsie

[RasTalawa ben-Judah]

All seen,
Iman wish to apologise if Iman's statements seemed accuseing in any way.
"Balance must be restored"
True, but how should this be done by changing the direction of hate from one way to another, creating another generation who feel justified to hate because of the hate they felt...

As for the questions 'pon da Bible...
Iman make a point to go to the greek hebrew and armaihic texts for studies 'pon the word, so as to avoid this dillution in

Iman naga try fe offend, just reason...

May the light of Jah fill your heart.

PeaceLoveInity